Lying Low

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST

"A nearly flawless performance--a beautifully constructed, elegantly written book, delicate in its perceptions, powerful in its impact."--New York Times

The riveting story of four crucial days in the lives of four people sharing a rambling Victorian house, "lying low" and harboring secrets not meant to be shared

Theo Wait, a middle-aged former ballet dancer, and her brother, Anton, have taken in two boarders: beautiful Lynn, who never receives mail or visitors; and energetic and effusive Ouida, a Brazilian student and illegal alien who won't let complicated bureaucratic wrangles and constant fear of deportation taint her vision of America as the land of opportunity.

A faked identity, a search for one of the FBI's most wanted escaped prison convicts, and a Brazilian feast that spins out of control kick the plot into high gear. While each of these characters has been plagued by a sense of impending disaster, the terrible thing they've all been fearing comes from an entirely unexpected direction, shattering all of their lives.

Author: Diane Johnson
Publisher: Plume Books
Published: 04/01/1998
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.53lbs
Size: 8.03h x 5.41w x 0.83d
ISBN: 9780452279452

Review Citation(s):
New York Times 04/19/1998 pg. 40

About the Author
Diane Johnson is the author of the bestselling novel Le Divorce, a National Book Award finalist, as well as many other novels, including Persian Nights, Health and Happiness, Lying Low, The Shadow Knows, and Burning. She was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Persian Nights, and she co-authored the screenplay to The Shining with Stanley Kubrick. She divides her time between San Francisco and Paris.